 Cornmeal, which comes readily packaged and is available at supermarkets islandwide, and okra, which can be found at supermarkets, vegetable markets and home gardens, are very inexpensive ingredients.Because these main components are inexpensive, the dish became common for many residents in Barbados' early colonial history.Cou-cou derives from the island's African ancestry and was a regular meal for those slaves who were brought over from Africa to Barbados.